


ask her if she wants to stay

by nowrunalong



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-03 08:35:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2844752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nowrunalong/pseuds/nowrunalong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After breaking up with Jimmy Stone, Rose Tyler has nowhere to go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [barcelonatheplanet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/barcelonatheplanet/gifts).



Rose didn’t know if it was primarily raindrops or tears that were leaving streaks down her face right now, but she didn’t care. Not even bothering to pull the hoodie of her jacket up over her hair, she folded her arms tightly across her abdomen as she strode through the council estate, ignoring the puddles that had gathered on the uneven pavement. The water seeped into her shoes and through her socks, leaving her feet cold.

 _God_ , Jackie had been right about Jimmy. Why hadn’t she listened?

But Rose knew why, of course. She thought she’d been right. She'd thought Jimmy had been wonderful, and talented, and everything. Hell, she'd thought he might have even been the one. That’s why she’d left school for him.

Not that she’d wanted to be there anyways.

Water splashed up and soaked the bottoms of Rose’s jeans as she quickened her pace to an angry stomp. She really hoped that Mickey would be home. She couldn’t go back to Jackie, not _now_ , not after everything they’d said to each other when Rose had left. And Keisha and Shareen were out, and _please_ , let Mickey be home.

Rose ran up the stairs and down Mickey’s floor. Her wet hair clung to her face, making it harder to see. Christmas wreaths hung on many of the doors, obstructing the numbers. Which one was Mickey’s? How many from the end? Four doors down, Rose thought. She rang the doorbell.

She heard shuffling from inside the flat, the sound of the lock sliding open, and then the door swung inwards.

It wasn’t Mickey.

The girl on the other side of the door seemed about Rose’s age and was clad in purple pyjamas. She had soft brown hair and large brown eyes, made even larger by the look of surprise on her face.

“Hello?”

Instantly, Rose felt even worse. She’d broken up with Jimmy, she’d hurt Jackie, and now she’d disturbed some unsuspecting girl when she’d clearly been getting ready for bed.

“I’m sorry,” Rose choked out. “I got the wrong door. I thought this was my friend’s place. I’ll just…” She began to turn away. 

“No, that’s fine!” The girl spoke so strongly that Rose stopped in her tracks. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I…” Rose didn’t know what to say. She took a deep breath and then the words came tumbling out. “I just broke up with my boyfriend, an' I had a fight with my mum, an' my best friends are out dancing, an' I was tryin’ to find my friend Mickey - I think he must live next door - and…” She started crying again, apologizing profusely. “S’alright, I should… I should probably find Mickey, I hope he’s…”

“Would you like to come in? Have a cuppa? You should get inside soon before you catch cold."

“No, no! You don’t need to, I…”

“It’s no trouble!”

Rose’s protests grew weaker as the girl gently put her arm around her shoulders and steered her inside, closing the door behind them.

“Hang on, I’ll get you a towel and a blanket. I’m Clara, by the way, what’s your name?”

“Rose.”

Clara fetched a towel from the cupboard and draped it over a spot on the couch for Rose. After the blonde had sat down, pulling her knees up and hugging her legs to her chest, Clara placed the blanket around her, carefully sliding Rose’s hair to side and over the blanket to stop it from dripping down Rose’s back.

“I’ll be right back, okay? I’m going to make some tea.”

A few minutes later, Clara returned with a tea tray. “Milk and sugar?”

Rose nodded, thanking Clara quietly as she placed the steaming mug in front of her on the coffee table.

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes. Clara had clearly decided not to question Rose about what was wrong, which Rose appreciated. Mickey probably wouldn’t have waited, Rose thought. He would have wanted to know everything straight away. And he would have been _furious_ with Jimmy. Rose didn’t need that right now.

After a while, Rose began to speak.

“It’s jus’ - my mum told me that me an’ Jimmy… that we weren’t gonna last. She said he wasn’t good enough for me, that she wished I would wait another year and finish school, because he might believe his band was going to take him places, but that it wouldn’t. She says no one ever notices the kids from the estates anyways. An’ I was mad, an’ I just wanted to believe Jimmy, ‘cause I don’t wanna be stuck here forever. He was gonna tour the world, an’ I was gonna go with him.

“But that wasn’t even the problem, not really. After a while I noticed he kept actin’ like he was better than me. He didn’t finish school either, but he kept implyin' I’d never get anywhere, that he was my only way out. It started to bother me an’ tonight I told him so - I told him, 'I can get out anytime I like' - an' he laughed in my face an' grabbed me by the arms an’ tried to kiss me but I was angry so I told him no, but he wouldn’t listen and… God, I can’t _believe_ I thought he loved me,” she concluded angrily. She let her hands clench into fists and then straighten out again, flexing her fingers and arms as she finally uncurled her whole body from her huddled position.

Rose pushed her left sleeve back with trembling fingers to inspect her wrist; Clara could see a bruise forming there. Her heart ached for the other girl.

Clara moved from her chair to the couch next to Rose and gently rubbed small circles into her back. With her other hand she moved the box of tissues closer, offering one to Rose, who took it gratefully and wiped her eyes. Her mascara, which had already run all the way down her face, smudged across her cheekbones.

“So I don’t know what to do now,” Rose concluded shakily. “I’ll go back to mum soon, I’ll have to tell her what happened… but I can’t do that now.”

“Would you like to stay over? I’ve got spare PJs, and the couch.”

“Oh, no, I…” Rose stammered. “I can’t. You’ve - you’ve already been too nice to me.”

“I don’t mind,” Clara assured her kindly but firmly. “Really. It’s just me here, anyways. I could use some company.”

Rose offered her a weak smile.

“It’s getting late. You should get some sleep. You’ll feel a little better in the morning.”

Clara stood up and offered her hand to Rose, who took it tentatively. Clara pulled the blonde up and led her to the bathroom. Soon, a fresh towel, a facecloth, a pair of pink pyjamas, and a spare toothbrush had been piled on the counter.

“You’re welcome to take a shower, if you like. I really need to get to bed, I’m sorry; I need to get up early to start some Christmas baking. But if you need anything at all, I’ll be in this room.” Clara gestured at her bedroom door. “Don’t hesitate to ask me for anything. I mean it.”

“Thank you.” Rose managed another smile, grateful for the other girl’s hospitality. 

“Sleep well, Rose.” Clara gave her a hug before heading into her room and closing the door most of the way behind her.

Rose watched her go and then shut herself in the bathroom. She decided she did want a shower. She wanted to wash all traces of Jimmy Stone from her skin.

As the water ran over her body and washed the rain from her hair, Rose cried a bit more. Rose didn’t normally cry much at all - it wasn’t her natural reaction. But tonight she’d cried so much it had left her feeling utterly drained.

When she lay down on the couch in clean PJs and wrapped Clara's blanket around herself, not even thoughts of Jimmy Stone could keep her awake.


	2. Chapter Two

The next morning, Rose was woken by a clatter of pots and pans and the smell of sausages cooking. Blearily, she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She blinked once. Twice. Where was she again? And then the previous day came flooding back to her.

Rose let out a breath. I’m not going to cry today, she thought to herself. She was done with that stage of grief. Onto acceptance. Or however it went.

Since she wasn’t one to sit around and overthink anything, Rose figured she might as well get up now that she was awake. She kept the blanket wrapped around her shoulders and stuck her head into the kitchen.

Clara was standing over the stove, poking at a few sausages in a frying pan. She looked up when Rose came in, greeting her with that warm, dimpled smile Rose was already growing more familiar with. 

“Good morning, you! How are you feeling?”

“Better, yeah.” 

“Sausage and eggs?”

“Yeah - thanks. That’d be nice.”

Rose sat down in a chair and watched as Clara removed the sausages from the pan and cracked two eggs into it. The brunette had already gotten dressed, swapping her purple pyjamas for a dark blue dress and black leggings. Her hair and makeup were done up too, Rose noticed. She wondered if Clara was always ready so early or if it was just because she had an unexpected guest over.

“Scrambled okay?”

Rose nodded. She wasn’t feeling very hungry, but she knew it would be good to eat something; she’d left Jimmy’s last night before she’d had supper.

Clara sat a plate of sausage and eggs in front of Rose at the table, apologizing for having eaten already.

“I didn’t want to wake you up,” she added.

She returned to the counter and began mixing up something else in a large bowl. Rose half-watched her and half-stared out the kitchen window as she ate her breakfast. Since Clara had been so considerate, Rose didn’t have the heart to pass back a half-eaten plate. She shovelled a couple more forkfuls of egg into her mouth.

“Your clothes are still wet,” Clara told her. “You can borrow something of mine. You’re out of luck for trousers since you’re taller than me, but I’ve probably got a couple dresses that’ll fit you.”

Rose thought about protesting, but since she didn’t _really_ want to put on wet clothes, she thanked the brunette again.

Outside, the rain was still coming down. At least she wouldn’t have to walk through it again to get home, Rose mused. She didn’t want to ruin Clara’s clothes too.

Rose wondered again what she was going to do. She didn’t have to go into Henrik’s today, and since she wasn’t going to be hanging out with Jimmy and his band… Rose clenched her fists, trying to stop herself from crying again. The metal of the fork she was holding pressed painfully against the palm of her hand. Against her will, her eyes started to water.

Clara noticed.

“Have any plans today?” she asked, a bit too loudly, clearly trying to distract her new acquaintance.

Rose shook her head. “I was plannin' on… nevermind. No. No plans.”

“I’ve got to finish this chocolate soufflé to bring to a Christmas staff party at Coal Hill, but I was going to watch some movies afterwards. If you wanted, you could hang around? It’s just, I’m new here, and I haven’t really met anyone in this neighbourhood yet.”

“Oh, everyone here is great,” Rose told her, brightening up. “I’ll introduce you to Shareen, Keisha, an' Mickey later. What movies were you thinking of watchin'?”

— 

After Clara had returned from her lunch party, the pair were settled down in similar dresses on Clara’s bed, watching Harry Potter. Because she was living alone, she’d got the moving people to put it in her room, figuring she’d catch up on all her TV shows there. What Clara hadn’t anticipated was a very pretty, very distraught, visitor.

Dammit.

Clara wasn’t exactly a shy lady. If she liked someone, she’d normally ask them out right away. No harm in trying to get to know them, at least. But Rose had just gotten out of a terrible relationship. Yesterday.

Turning away from Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, Clara glanced over at Rose. The blonde was staring intently at the interactions on the television screen, but she still looked a little tense.

Clara knew about tough break-ups. After Nina had left her for some other girl, she’d felt broken for weeks afterwards. All she’d wanted was to be held, but she’d lost that.

When Rose looked back at Clara, the brunette wasn’t expecting it. Startled out of her thoughts, she jumped a little, nearly averting Rose's gaze but deciding at the last second just to smile instead.

Rose, thankfully, returned her smile.

They held each other’s gaze for a couple seconds before Clara jumped up, scurrying towards the door and speaking rapidly as she went. She hoped desperately that her cheeks hadn’t turned red. They felt rather warm.

“I’ll, uh – I’ll be right back. Just need to use the loo.” 

She was out the door before Rose could answer her.

— 

When Clara returned, she had freshened up and her face was back to its usual complexion. Rose, who had paused the movie in her absence, looked up from her apparent inspection of Clara’s bedside table.

“What's the story behind the book?”

Clara blinked. So that’s what Rose had found.

“It was my mum’s. I was going to travel one day. To all those places. Doesn’t seem like my life wants to work out that way, though. At least, not yet.”

Rose gave her a sad smile.

“I know what you mean.” She leaned back against the headboard. “I’d love to get away from here. I’d go anywhere. Just… away. Somewhere. Where there’s somethin' more to see, you know? More than the same thing, day after day.”

Clara sat back down on the bed and settled in next to Rose. They both looked at the ceiling, staring as if they could actually see outer space up there, rather than stucco. Neither had resumed the movie.

“We should go on a trip,” Rose continued suddenly, interrupting the silence in the room. “Take a bus somewhere. I’ve got a little bit saved from workin’ at Henrik’s. Mum wouldn’t like me to use it for travellin’, but it’s my own money. I can do what I like.” This last part seemed to be mostly to herself.

“Were would you go?”

“There’s a beach not too far from here that I’ve always wanted to go to. Mum was never able to bring me there and I haven’t had a chance to go by myself.”

“I love beaches,” agreed Clara. “That sounds fantastic.” She thought for a second. “Okay. You win a million pounds in the lottery. Where do you go next?”

“Hmm. Scotland, maybe. I’d stick to Europe for a bit.”

“Ooh, yes! The countryside is supposed to be gorgeous. France, too.”

“And then Italy.”

“Gorgeous architecture -”

“And gorgeous pizza.”

“Of course.”

“And then America.”

“New York City!”

“Exactly! I’ve always wanted to go!”

“And then?”

“Australia.”

“And New Zealand?”

“Definitely New Zealand.”

“And they say we’ll be able to go into space someday. We’ll go to the moon.”

“Further. Mars!”

“Neptune?”

They had both rolled over now, facing each other and laughing. Even though they were just daydreaming, Clara felt her heart soar. Rose was more similar to herself than anyone she’d ever met.

“You know,” Rose said, “I’m glad I knocked on the wrong door yesterday. The best way to forget one person is to find someone different, right?”

Clara’s smile froze.

“I didn’t mean like that!” Rose added quickly. “I just meant - it’s been a while since I met anyone new around here.”

“Right, yeah.”

“Although - “

“What?

“Nothin’, I… Nothin’.”

Clara shrugged and turned away, resting her head on one of her pillows and stared back up at the ceiling. 

“Clara, are you alright?”

“Yeah. Fine.”

“Okay.”

They sat in silence again, but this time it wasn’t nearly so comfortable.

This time, it was Clara who interrupted it, saying very quickly, “if you decide you do want to find someone different…”

She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. _She’d_ decided she wasn’t going to talk about this with Rose. Rose was just looking for a friend. Rose _needed_ a friend. Rose… Clara looked towards the door, not wanting to see the blonde's reaction.

Rose rolled closer to Clara until she was nearly on top of her and took her hand.

Whatever Clara had been expecting, it wasn’t that.

She turned her head back and met Rose’s eye again.

The blonde was grinning cheekily at her.

Clara definitely wasn’t expecting that either.

She did have a couple seconds to anticipate the kiss that followed, though. Clara lifted her head as Rose lowered hers, lips meeting hesitantly. At first, Clara kissed her back shyly, but as Rose moved her hand to Clara’s back and pulled her closer, her hesitation disappeared. Their lips parted and Clara ran her tongue over Rose’s bottom lip. Rose moaned and her hand slid down Clara’s back, skimming the waistband of her tights beneath her dress before pushing up the material of her skirt.

Clara pulled away, her breathing fast and her heart pounding in her chest.

“Clara?” 

Pleased that Rose was also slightly breathless and relieved that she clearly reciprocated her own feelings, Clara also knew that she wouldn’t feel comfortable going any further today. She reached out and gently moved Rose’s hair from her face, fingers skimming her cheekbone as she tucked the strands behind her ear.

“You just broke up with Jimmy yesterday. We shouldn’t do anything too fast or you might regret it later.”

“I won’t!”

“You don’t know that.”

Clara smoothed her dress back down and took Rose’s hands in hers.

“Ask me again tomorrow.”

“Why tomorrow?”

Clara paused and then her whole face lit up with her most mischievous grin.

“Because tomorrow I might say yes."


End file.
